SUMITRA SENAPATY tries out the latest gastronomic possibilities on offer at Savoy Suites in Noida, East of Delhi.

NOW, THERE'S more for visitors to Savoy Suites, Noida. A 1928 Austin 7 that serves as a salad mobile at the recently opened Chor Bizarre outlet; the four poster Calcutta bed that has been converted into a table for six; and if you are a twosome looking for a cozy table, then it is the Singer sewing machine base which you should be looking for! Talking about eating, the best of the best at Chor Bizarre includes jimikand anjeer ke kabab, chicken Chettinad, Goan prawn curry, nahari gosht and a variety of stews with appams. The dessert selection seems to be quite unique with fusion ideas to tempt you. Check out tandoori pineapple with ginger ice cream or malpua with orange sorbet.

Savoy Suites is the closest you can get to home. Here business travellers, long staying guests and families need not be cooped up within the confines of a hotel room and live out of a suitcase. Here the guest can even enjoy different cuisines while staying in the service apartment. There is a drive-in McDonald's (Noida's second), Chor Bizarre (also in Delhi, Gurgaon and London) and Oriental Octopus, the restaurant offering cuisine from eight different countries. (The original Octopus at Habitat World is an IHC `members only' restaurant.) All three food outlets have prominent entry signs visible from the main road itself, as they cater both to the public and the service apartment guests. The Old World restaurants even provide for valet parking, an added incentive these days.

Oriental Octopus does a pretty good job of walking that fine line between accessibility and authenticity, much in the way Oriental food manages at once to be subtle and intense. The satay from Indonesia is especially good; so is the Singapore chilli crab, Thai tofu in chilli, garlic and basil, and a pleasant surprise is the khao soi from Myanmar, the legendary Burmese curry with wheat noodles and a whole host of accompaniments. The smells are the first wake-up call to the senses, a fragrant fusion of barbecue, garlic, sugar, chillies and peanuts. The comfortable ambience, notes of Jazz and hues of purple décor ensure a memorable dining experience of high standard, probably a first for Noida.